UFC flyweight champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson defends his title against challenger John "The Magician" Dodson Saturday night live on FOX.

With another star-studded card headed to FOX on Saturday, Keyboard Kimura identifies the big questions that will be answered this weekend.

1. Can the Flyweights Draw an Audience?

There is no doubt in my mind that Saturday night’s championship main event is going to be an entertaining fight. Flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson and challenger John Dodson operate in 4th or 5th gear from start to finish, and blend multiple elements together smoothly inside the cage.

What isn’t certain though is whether fans at home will tune in to see the UFC’s “Mighty Mites” duke it out for 25 minutes on a Saturday evening?

Johnson and Joseph Benavidez were booed during their championship clash in Toronto, and Dodson and Jussier “Formiga” da Silva received a Bronx cheer when they went head-to-head a month later in Minnesota. For whatever reason, fans just haven’t taken to the flyweights (or the lighter weight classes as a whole), and I’m not sure a championship belt and headlining spot on FOX is going to be enough to change their minds.

The last UFC on FOX event in Seattle averaged 4.4 million viewers over the two-hour broadcast. I would be shocked if this show came close. While some of that has to do with the recognizable names that made up last month’s main card – Nathan Diaz, BJ Penn, Shogun Rua – this broadcast has a stronger collection of meaningful fights than its predecessor, but a less recognizable group of names.

Anything north of 3 million viewers will surprise me, while disappointing me at the same time.

2. “Rampage” Jackson: Out with a Bang or Out with a Thud?

Win or lose, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is done with the UFC following Saturday night’s event. The once happy marriage turned sour following Jackson’s light heavyweight title loss to Forrest Griffin, and though there were some good moments since then, the relationship has deteriorated to the point that Jackson just wants out.

He’ll get his wish Saturday night, but will he go out with a bang or with a thud?

Jackson has the opportunity to throw a wrench in the UFC’s plans by beating surging light heavyweight Glover Teixeira on Saturday night. In order to do so, Jackson has to show up in shape, focused, and thinking about the hulking Brazilian who is going to be trying to knock him out, not what comes next.

But there are no guarantees with Jackson.

He was in great shape against Jon Jones at UFC 135, but uninspired in his fights before and after that contest. Will the opportunity to stick it to his soon-to-be former employers have spurred him on in training camp or will knowing that he’s about to hit the free agent market regardless of his performance lead to a less-than-stellar showing from “Rampage” in his Octagon finale? If I were a betting man, I’d lay money on the latter, but I really hope Jackson proves me wrong.

3. How Good is Glover Teixeira?

Crushing Kyle Kingsbury and blasting away on a zombified Fabio Maldonado aren’t exactly indicators of greatness. While both were dominant performances that indicate Glover Teixiera needs to be facing tougher competition, we don’t yet have a reading on where his ceiling rests. I’m not sure that we’re going to get a proper reading Saturday night either.

If the Jackson who faced Jon Jones at UFC 135 shows up, we could find out once and for all where the Brazilian slugger who has won 17 consecutive fights stands in the light heavyweight pecking order. Should Jackson come in less than 100-percent focused, a victory would still be a strong indicator of Teixeira’s potential, we’d still be without that one definitive performance that truly establishes him as a title contender.

Personally, I think Teixeira can beat the best version of Rampage on Saturday night. He combines his striking and grappling very well, showing impressive fluidity in both, and has the kind of nasty power to put guys down in a hurry, save for zombies like Maldonado. That being said, I’d still like to see him take on some of the division’s true elite before getting too caught up in his championship candidacy.

4. Will Pettis vs. Cerrone Live Up to the Hype?

Like everyone else, I’ve been waiting for this fight since “Cowboy” started in on Pettis again following his win over Melvin Guillard, and when I think about how it plays out, I envision a nasty back-and-forth fight that has a little bit of everything – grappling, kickboxing, showboating, you name it.

However, there is a little part of me that wonders if these two lightweights will deliver the kind of “Fight of the Year” contender everyone is expecting?

This is a pivotal fight for both men, and those types of situations can lead to tight performances. Pettis has been off for nearly a year, and needs a win to once again establish himself in the line of lightweight title contenders, while Cerrone is looking to officially put himself on that for the first time in his career. As much as we all expect these two to walk into the center of the cage and start banging, the stakes could have them a little tentative to start.

Both guys are showmen and they’re not very fond of each other, so I’m 70/30 that this fight will produce the way everyone hopes it will. If it does, this should be the “Fight of the Night” and an early candidate for year-end honours. If it doesn’t, remember who told you there was a 30-percent chance of it falling flat.

5. Will Erik Koch and Ricardo Lamas Steal the Show?

From the marketing and promotion of this event, you wouldn’t know that there is a fourth fight on the main card, one that has immediate title implications.

Chicago native Ricardo Lamas puts his three-fight winning streak on the line against Erik Koch, a 12-1 standout who was twice scheduled to face Jose Aldo for the featherweight title last year before injuries submarined both bouts. With Aldo and Frankie Edgar set to fight for the title next weekend, the winner of this bout has a very good chance of being the next championship challenger in the 145-pound weight class.

For the life of me I can’t understand why the UFC hasn’t put any effort into promoting this bout, but that’s a question for another time.

I honestly think these two have the potential to upstage everyone on the card.

Lamas is fighting at home for the first time in a long time, and has an aggressive, non-stop style that produces high amplitude takedowns, submission attempts, and ground-and-pound. Koch, meanwhile, is a slightly less explosive version of his teammate, Anthony Pettis; a well-rounded talent who can catch you with almost anything on the feet, and has a ground game that can trip you up too.

I anticipate this being a high-energy back-and-forth battle from Jump Street, and even though it hasn’t gotten much attention heading into Saturday night, it could be one of the major talking points come Sunday morning.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.